The Ultimate Weather Balloon Guide to Sending Anything to Near-Space
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Haley Nelson shares a step-by-step guide on launching a GoPro into space using a weather balloon. She covers everything from assembling the payload with multiple cameras and a GPS unit to selecting the right parachute and balloon. Haley also discusses the importance of weight, legal considerations, and the use of tools like Party City for helium and online calculators for predicting flight path and altitude. The video concludes with her thrilling retrieval of the payload, emphasizing the excitement and satisfaction of such a unique project.
Takeaways
- 🚀 The video is a comprehensive guide on sending a GoPro to space using a weather balloon.
- 🎥 Haley Nelson hosts the video, taking over from Rob and Jonah to share her experience with the project.
- 📸 Haley used five GoPro cameras in different orientations to capture various perspectives of the space journey.
- 🔗 A GPS unit is crucial for tracking the payload's location, with the Spot 3 model recommended for its frequent pinging capabilities.
- 🔋 Extra battery life is essential due to the unpredictable duration of the ascent and descent.
- 📈 The weight of the payload must be under four pounds to comply with legal requirements.
- 🪂 A parachute is necessary for the safe descent of the payload, with the size chosen based on the payload's weight.
- 🎈 At least two weather balloons are recommended due to their fragility and the ease of damage.
- 💰 The most cost-effective source for helium is Party City, where tanks can be rented for two days.
- 📍 Websites like sky vector and predicta Bob are used to determine safe launch areas and predict landing locations.
- 📉 The video details the entire process from preparation to retrieval, including filling the balloon with helium and tracking the payload's descent.
Q & A
What is the main objective of the video?
-The main objective of the video is to provide a comprehensive guide on how to send a GoPro to space using a weather balloon.
Who is the presenter of the video?
-The presenter of the video is Haley Nelson, who is taking over Rob and Jonah's filmmaking to show this cool and fun project.
What is included in the payload for this project?
-The payload includes five GoPro cameras, styrofoam, a GPS unit, and duct tape, all assembled to capture footage from different angles during the space journey.
Why is extra battery life important for the GoPros?
-Extra battery life is important because the exact duration of the ascent and descent is unpredictable, so having as much battery life as possible ensures the cameras keep recording throughout the entire process.
What is the maximum weight limit for the payload according to the video?
-The maximum weight limit for the payload is four pounds, as anything above that is considered illegal for this type of launch.
What type of parachute did Haley choose and why?
-Haley chose a six-foot parachute, which was overkill for their needs, but it was chosen to ensure the payload would descend safely. The size of the parachute should match the size of the payload.
Where is the best place to rent a helium tank according to the video?
-According to the video, Party City is the most cost-efficient, cheapest, and most convenient place to rent a helium tank.
What is the maximum altitude a 300-gram weather balloon can reach?
-A 300-gram weather balloon can reach a maximum altitude of 80,000 feet.
How can one predict where the payload will land after launch?
-One can predict where the payload will land by using a website called predictaBob.com, where you input all the necessary information including the launch date and weather conditions.
What is the significance of the PVC pipe in the balloon's neck?
-The PVC pipe in the balloon's neck is used to help fill the balloon with helium and is secured with zip ties to prevent the balloon from slipping off during inflation.
How did Haley and her team retrieve the payload after it landed?
-Haley and her team used the GPS unit's tracking feature on their phones to locate the payload. They received pings from the GPS until it went out of range, and then started heading towards the predicted landing site once it was back in range.
Outlines
🚀 Launching GoPros to Space
The script introduces a project where GoPro cameras are sent to space using a weather balloon. The host, Haley Nelson, takes over the filmmaking to share this exciting experience. The process involves preparing a payload with multiple GoPros facing different directions, attaching a GPS unit, and ensuring ample battery life. The payload is constructed with styrofoam and duct tape, with special attention given to not obstructing the GPS. The script emphasizes the importance of keeping the payload under four pounds and including contact information. The choice of a parachute is discussed, with a six-foot parachute being used despite being oversized for the purpose. The script also touches on the need for helium and the practicalities of obtaining it from Party City, as well as the importance of preparing the balloon carefully to avoid damage.
🎈 Balloon Launch Preparations
This paragraph delves into the specifics of preparing for the balloon launch. It discusses the need to calculate the right amount of helium for the balloon based on the payload size and provides resources for predicting the balloon's burst altitude and landing location. The script advises on choosing a launch site outside of controlled airspace and using a website to predict the landing area. The day of the launch involves setting up a safe area for the balloon, filling it with helium, and securing it to both the tank and the parachute. The script also describes the process of launching, including checking the payload, turning on the cameras, and tracking the balloon's journey. The host shares her experience of losing signal temporarily, which caused concern, but eventually, the GPS tracking helped locate the payload successfully. The excitement of finding the payload and the overall experience of the launch day is highlighted.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡GoPro
💡Weather balloon
💡Payload
💡Parachute
💡GPS unit
💡Helium
💡Burst altitude
💡Retrieval
💡Party City
💡Sky vector
💡PredictaBob
Highlights
Introduction to sending a GoPro to space using a weather balloon
Explanation of the process from payload to retrieval
Details on creating a payload with styrofoam and GoPros
Importance of extra battery life for the GoPros
GPS unit placement and its function
Requirement for the payload weight to be under four pounds
Choosing the right size parachute for the payload
Selecting and handling weather balloons
Filling the balloon with helium and the role of Party City
Using a burst calculator to predict balloon pop altitude
Pre-launch preparation including attaching a PVC pipe
Choosing a launch site and avoiding controlled airspace
Using predictaBob.com to estimate landing location
Setting up for the launch with a drop cloth and helium tank
Filling the balloon with helium and attaching it securely
Tracking the payload and the importance of turning on cameras
The experience of losing signal and regaining it later
Retrieving the payload using GPS and the excitement of finding it
Encouragement to try the project and share footage
Transcripts
three-two-one holy crap our today
the comprehensive guide to sending a
GoPro to space everybody ready
[Music]
four three two one
hey there I'm Haley Nelson and I am
taking over Rob and Jonah's filmmaking
together and the reason I'm doing that
much in the way that Weird Al used to
take over MTV is because I've got
something really cool and fun to show
you Rob and Jonas and I launched a bunch
of GoPros into space using a weather
balloon now it took me a really long
time to figure out how to do all that
and to get all the great footage that we
got so guess what I'm going to show you
how to do it all so that you can do this
I'm talking from the payload I just like
saying the word payload over and over to
the parachute to the balloon to the
retrieval it's going to be awesome stick
around so that you can send whatever you
want to into space too
so let's look at the big picture first
you have a payload which is just
whatever you're sending up in this case
we're sending five GoPro cameras and
that is going to be attached to a
parachute and that parachute is going to
be straight and flat on the way up and
then because it's attached to a large
balloon filled with helium it goes up
the balloon is expanding it expands
until it bursts and then when it bursts
the parachute opens up and your
beautiful payload gently walks down
lazily to where it needs to go now that
sounds pretty simple it's actually super
duper tricky first let's talk payload
for my payload in essence what I did was
just get some styrofoam and put a bunch
of GoPros in it facing different
directions and duct tape up the whole
thing
with a GPS unit duct tape to the top in
more detail I put to grow pros going
down one going up to catch the burst of
the balloon one going out to the side
when going out to the other side with a
picture of the untain science crews so
that we could sort of virtually be in
space altogether how fun would that be
you want to make sure that you have
extra battery life because you don't
know exactly how long it's going to be
to go up and go down you can accurately
predict it to a point but you want to
have as much battery life as you can
when you place your GPS unit you place
it on the very top because it can't be
obstructive on anything also metal tape
don't use that because it'll screw up
the GPS unit regular duct tape any color
you choose the GPS unit that about is
called a spot three but it was great
because you could just kind of ping it
from where if it was it pings every 10
minutes or how often you said it and it
comes to your phone and shows you
exactly where it is peer south of Monroe
once you have your payload totally
assembled that means everything that's
in there it's going to be in there your
total weight you're going to need to
have a really accurate measurement
because you're going to use that
measurement for all sorts of
calculations make sure the weight of
your payload is under four pounds
because anything above that is illegal
also remember on your payload to write
your contact information next is the
parachute you're going to want to
purchase a pair
and some light strong cord now when
you're choosing a parachute you want to
match the size of your parachute to the
size of your payload the parachutes that
I chose was a six-foot parachute which
is not it's just really overkill for
what we needed and so we ended up having
to drive three hours to find the payload
thankfully there's a handy dandy chart
for how to choose your parachute as
compared to the size of your payload
alright now for the balloon oh these are
the balloons these are the villainess
when you purchase a weather balloon you
want to get at least two because they're
actually pretty easy to damage with the
oils on your fingers so make sure that
you don't handle them very much pre
launch and when you do handle them with
gloves and work loves on the day of the
launch as well there are 300 gram
balloons and they're eight foot in
diameter they go to a maximum of 80,000
feet with a burst diameter maximum of 12
foot 4 inches a lot of the people who
launch use that balloon seem to work
fine then of course you're going to need
to fill that balloon with helium a
helium tank and I wondered if you guys
rent the whole tanks and I checked a lot
of sources and it turns out that the
most cost efficient place the cheapest
and the most convenient happens to be
Party City Oh awesome when you get it at
Party City you can get it for two days
so you can get it the night before and
then you can have it ready for an early
morning lunch basically we be feeding
the GoPro and sending things into space
helium everybody awake just returning
okay I really like this entire tank of
helium it's very expensive is like
killing the dollars you want to figure
out how much helium to put in your
balloon that's also related to the size
of your payload there's a chart the lift
of helium balloons chart also you're
probably wondering when your balloon is
going to burst how high your balloon is
gonna get and there's a burst calculator
that's really helpful for that as well
and the actual prep that you can do on
the balloon before launch day includes
putting a PVC pipe in the neck now you
take that you put the PVC in the neck of
the balloon and then you cinch it down
with zip ties and now for the launch
then you have to decide where you're
going
launched and where what you launched is
going to land and you want to make sure
that you launch and land in places if at
all possible that are not controlled
airspace and you can go to sky vector
comm to figure out in your area where
those areas actually are close to you so
you can avoid them now you're probably
wondering okay well if I pick a launch
spot how do I know where it's going to
land guess what there's a really cool
calculator for this at a really cool
website predicta Bob comm you plug in
all the information you know the day
you're going to launch it includes
weather in math and magic leprechauns
and it gives you a pretty accurate
description of where your payload is
going to end up we actually ended up
changing the day of our launch because
that day was supposed to end up I'm
going into the ocean now the actual day
of your launch we had a pretty sweet
setup we ended up bringing a big kind of
drop cloth so that everything could be
neat and tidy and we could keep the
balloon safe now you're gonna fill it up
with the helium tank that you brought
which is pretty heavy so you want to
attach your balloon to two different
places you want to attach your balloon
with your cording to the helium tank and
you want to attach it also to the top of
the parachute actually getting it filled
let's talk about that coming out of the
tank you have a regulator and it's gonna
tell you how much is coming out and you
attach a piece of tubing I had a piece
of old flexible tubing and just attach
that on there stuck it through the PVC
the very last thing you do before you
cut the cord and let everything go is
check your payload turn on all the
cameras cinch it up tight it took more
time than I thought it would it'd be
nice if there was a practice run for
that because we lost precious GoPro
footage time I wanted to get the burst
of the balloon in slow motion and it
didn't happen so the only thing that you
have to do is turn on the cameras
[Music]
you can start tracking immediately it'll
give you a pinpoint right away and then
every few minutes you'll get one up
until the point when goes out of
range we got in the car and went to go
eat breakfast and I'm sitting there
getting pings and then all of a sudden
we don't get pings anymore and it was
very scary oh I guess I don't know
thinking oh gosh
what have we lost it but it was just out
of range it was going in space 45
minutes later it got down back into a
space where it was within range started
heading in that direction and it ended
up taking three hours to drive to where
we need to go with a little luck I mean
there's like this is there's like no
house is on this plot other than this
one yeah put on our like nicest-looking
clothes and I think that could be it
accuracy of the GPS within three feet of
where we were
there's yeah we found it it was really
wow really exciting for me I hope that
you actually get to do this again and if
you do please feel free to share your
footage on Rob and Jonas filmmaking I
will definitely see it there because I
know them Rob's my husband whoa
all right see you next Tuesday
[Music]
what yeah
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